Senior Product Development Manager | Maternity Leave Contract

• Leadership opportunity in the Product & Innovation Chapter working in the Food & Exclusives Tribe
• Lead, coach, and inspire a team of Product Developers
• Develop the product vision and strategy for the 1-3 year category plans and formulate the roadmaps to ensure their delivery
• Work within an agile structure to drive the achievement of strategic objectives
• Commences January 2024

The Opportunity

You will be an energetic, enthusiastic and passionate Product Development Manager who is skilled in the creation of product strategy and delivery of the product pipeline. You will work closely with cross-functional teams and be responsible for leading a team of Product Developers, ensuring their professional development, technical skill and capability growth. You will develop the product vision and strategy for the 1-3 year category plans and formulate the roadmap to ensure the delivery thereof, ensuring it delivers to the business strategy and commitments.

You will be involved in creating the Directional Frameworks and setting the Product Standards, representing the customer in every decision. You will work closely with cross-functional teams and be responsible for leading a team of Product Developers, ensuring projects are resourced effectively, with the right capability to deliver on strategic priorities.

Prior experience working in a Product Development Leadership role will be highly regarded

Key responsibilities (but not limited to):

Leadership:

• Lead, coach, develop and inspire the Product Development function within the squads, ensuring their professional development, skill and capability, growth and upliftment
• Work with Tribe Leads to ensure capacity for capability uplift is factored into quarterly planning
• Build relationships and partners with all stakeholders internally and externally in the innovation space, identifying opportunities for collaboration
• Work within the Agile structure and principles, to resolve any impediments and make use of Product Owners when necessary, facilitating discussions wherever possible

Strategy & Innovation:

• Identification, translation, and interpretation of trends, customer insights and global benchmarks, to support sustainable business growth and product direction
• Accountable for the delivery of product development plans & launches, by the squad.
• Accountable for the product quality standards, ensuring that we are leading, not following, and consistently setting and maintaining the benchmark.
• Evaluate and create efficiencies for key processes and systems in product development, continuous improvement mindset.
• Inspire the development of innovative and quality products that exceed our customer's expectations

Who we’re looking for

• You have a tertiary Qualification, a diploma or degree in Science, Product Design, Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing or similar
• You are capable of developing and articulating where the Group and business is heading strategically, doing so in an engaging and credible manner
• You are capable of identifying and driving commercial options which take into account multiple perspectives and scenarios
• You remain intellectually agile in terms of what and how we should work internally, in order to respond to changes in the external environment
• You have the ability to empower, enable, coordinate and partner with business leaders to further develop their businesses by analysing the strategic context and identifying opportunities for cross-collaboration and improvements
• You are a smart, broad and curious thinker who will ask the right questions, sniff out the issues, and develop value-adding insights and perspectives that enhance the financial and operational performance of each business unit and Woolworths as a whole
• You are a proactive leader, who will bring ideas and suggestions to the table based on strategic and commercial insight. You intrinsically understand and will coach others in driving the achievement of strategic objectives
• You show evidence of passion for product, and knowledge of past and current lifestyle trends, and how these impact customer purchasing behaviour
• You have significant experience in Product Development & management/leadership experience within a complex/matrix environment
• You have a proven track record of coaching, leading and developing high-performing teams. Experience in agile will be highly regarded
• You have extensive relationship management and strong stakeholder influencing - a track record within a big ecosystem or matrix environment
• You can demonstrate examples of collaboration and partnership at a senior level
• You are able to deliver and drive strategic plans through the team

Why you’ll love it here

In addition to this exciting role, these are some of the benefits we offer:

• An exciting career - As our business grows, so do the opportunities for our team members
• Strong mentorship and development; opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest and best minds in Australia
• Flexible working arrangements
• Unparalleled growth opportunities
• We value diversity and aim to create a vibrant and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve
• Get your Woolies Worth through team member benefits across all of our brands

Grow with the Group

As an inclusive, team-first company, our people are at the core of everything we do.

We care deeply about creating a workplace where our team members feel valued, respected and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunity regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or life stage. We are proud to be recognised as a Gold Tier Employer in the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQ+ inclusion and as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

As our Group continues to evolve, innovate and support our communities, we encourage our team members to do the same with their own careers, by providing ongoing opportunities to grow and make a real difference.

We value flexibility, and encourage our team members to work in ways that meet their work/life commitments and support their wellbeing.

We work hard to create a safe and inclusive environment for all, and most importantly, we're all about creating better experiences – for our customers and for each other.

We’d love to hear from You

If you meet a number of the requirements, but not all, we encourage you to submit your application. You can follow us on LinkedIn or see more opportunities via www.wowcareers.com.au. #work180 #LI-Hybrid #LI